The center aisles and frozen foods sections of the typical grocery store are testament to the sad and unhealthy alienation of North Americans from the food we eat and the kitchens in which we used to actually cook it. I could go on for days about the shocking “convenience” foods I’ve witnessed whilst strolling through the supermarket: pre-packaged hard-boiled eggs, sliced and cored apples suffocated individually in sheaths of plastic, and vacuum-packed, pre-formed, uncooked meatballs, to name a few. But nestled near the top of the list of these culinary travesties lie box upon box of pancake mix, for these breakfast staples are ridiculously easy to make — even on a weekday.

The perfect plum is a rare find. Typically, the ones piled up in plastic baskets at the  grocery store are pretty to look at, but are seldom prime for the eating, with an overly tart flavor and a tough, sapless texture. Local, fresh, perfectly ripe plums deserve a special nod to their deliciousness.

In the brief window of time between dropping my eldest daughter off at preschool, getting the twins down for their morning naps, preparing lunch and then picking the preschooler up again from her half-day of away-play, the heap of bright red and green shiny apples was staring me down, challenging me to quickly convert their toothsomely tart selves into a warm, fragrant, scrumptious snack. I met their dare, of course, with muffins. Okay, so I’m anthropomorphizing hanging fruit — maybe I need to get out more — but what ev’.

In addition to taking significantly less time to make than traditional yeast-leavened breads,  Irish soda bread has the most delicious crunchy crust, yielding a rich, chewy interior that will incite the urge to bang out loaves of this yummy quick bread on a regular basis.  Crafted from simple ingredients sure to be found in every kitchen, this moist, dense, cheese- and onion-infused soda bread is virtually a meal unto itself. Let’s call this one a shout-out to my maternal great-grandmother, a red-headed Irish-Newfie.

Let go of those Eggo’s. No, really. Throw out the box, and let them go. Once you’ve sunk your teeth into the snappy outer crispness and tasted the tender, creamy inside of a steaming hot homemade waffle, you’ll scoff at those frigid boxed impostors stacked cryogenically in the frozen foods aisle.